Thank you for the correction; I was under the impression that even day hikers needed permits. Yet Grand Canyon is a very big place and there are lots of opportunities for solitude, away from crowds - like caves.  You rarely hear of them, but the Redwall Limestone is full of them, the vast majority undocumeented and unexplored.  One night in camp, while exploring caves at the behest of the NPS, we calculated that, given the length of Redwall cliffs in the Canyon, and estimating about 1/2 mile of cave passage per cave, there was perhaps more total cave passage in Grand Canyon than in Mammoth Cave.  Speculation, true, but quite reasonable.... There are plenty of "unmaintained" trails in Grand Canyon - basically they are the equivalent of normal trails elsewhere, and I have never had to fight for right of way on any of them - Grandview, New Hance, Old Hance, etc. And there are less visited NPs - like Gates of the Arctic.  Last I looked, it got 28,000 annual visits.  I suspect it has no entrance fees.  There are lots of hidden gems tucked away in the NP system that are off the beaten path, tricky to access, without a local Chamber of Commerce beating the drum. ... View more

" This hiker did not take on a very ambitious hike. That roue is commonly walked by hundreds of people every year. I bet this hiker was in very good condition too." Quite true, but this is also a trail on which the park concession will ring down a mule or horse to drag you out if you  request - ther are MANY of these each year.  I don't eleven they are even totaled as rescues.  I also believe there is a fee. Grand Canyon is weird.  Th N/S Kaibab - Bright Angel Trail system is superbly built and maintained, the best I have ever seen.  It is used by large multitude every year, so much so that capacity limits are in place. The parks are places to commune and bond with unspoiled nature.  When they do this well, they attract people.  Eventually this leads to overcrowding and all the associated problems, thereby lessening the ability to see unspoiled nature..... ... View more

For that matter, who tracks accidents and fatalities in the various outdoor recreational pursuits - hunting, fishing, sightseeing, rock climbing, caving, etc. There should  be some objective way of determining the relative hazards of all these activities, including visiting National Parks.   Frankly, I'll beet that the fatality rate of various recreational pursuits will be less than that of driving a vehicle, statistically the most hazardous pursuit for most of us..... ... View more

There is a lot of bad stuff on utube, but it didn't begin there.  A lot of visitors to the Great Outdoors are entering an unfamiliar environment, clueless about basic measure that will keep them safe.  After all, there are Rangers, right?  They will keep us safe from harm, won't they? How can there be hazards in a National Park? These attitudes have been around for a long time, and probably have been supported by news and media accounts of successful rescues (the body recoveries get a lot less space).  Rarely is it mentioned that there is an inevitable lag time in any rescue operation, people may not be handy for any number of reasons, bad weather may be a problem, etc.  This doesn't happen in the movies, but is very frequent in Real Life. For that matter, most, if not all, parks are understaffed, especially when it comes to field personnel.  SAR operations often depend on assistance from other organizations, not always a bad thing. The uninformed will always be with us, but we can try to get the word out.  One of the nice things about REI is that it is a positive factor in this effort, by providing generally good gear and good info along with the goodies. ... View more

Gt USGS or equivalent paper maps of the areas you will be hiking - more informative, cheaper, lighter, don't depend on batteries..... I know this is very traditional, but paper maps work - all the time.  Your Garmin unit will be a useful supplement.... ... View more

You mention "outdoor equity" which I believe involves access to the outdoors for all minority groups which would include various assemblages of Native Americans. It is pretty clear to me that NAs have a fundamentally different perspective on the Great Outdoors, essentially vacation lands and recreational space for most of us.  The various NA perspective as more varied, comprehensive, and nuanced.  To many, the recreational space of the majority holds significant religious values, as well as significant historical memories, both good and bad. A case in point - Spider Rock  in Canyon de Chelly.  Deeply significant  to the Navajo, who objected to the first ascent by gringos in the 1950s, although this was not known to the local NPS staff, who authorized the climb.  Once this was know, further climbs, of which there have been several, have been secretive.  A somewhat similar situation exists with Shiprock. When working at d Chelly, my NA foremen, Chauncey Neboyia, realizing that I like to climb and explore, cautioned me about several places that I should avoid. I am grateful for his counsel to this day.  There are other examples, often involving prominent summits, throughout north America and the world. The point is that outdoor recreational space has different significance to other groups, and in  truly tolerant and understanding society, these views would be acknowledged and respected'. This is tricky business nd you quickly get deep into the anthropological and ethnological weeds in dealing with these subjects, but true outdoor equity requires attention to this subject. Can REI and we, ourselves, help?  I sincerely hope so.... ... View more

Neat!  Looks much easier to toss than the typical throw bag.  But one question - Isn't the wax likely to melt and ooze out of the bottle, no doubt creating a lovely mess? But wait!  The melted wax will waterproof the line11 ... View more

I think you raise one of the problems with dehydrated foods.  As an ex-Arizonan, I have spent a lot of time in arid conditions.  Water is essential food is not (at least in the short term).  Deprivation of water will show up sooner in your endurance and judgement long before you are near starvation. I don't know of any accounts of eating unrehydrated grub, but I'll bet that water will be drawn from various sources in your body when you chow down, thus worsening your condition. Basically, if water is scarce, you might as well carry canned goods. I understand an apple is about 90 per cent moisture, which makes it a very efficient canteen ..... ... View more

I kind of doubt it after all, it failed on the first night of use, if i understand correctly.  Personally, I am a fan of close cell foam pads - bulky, but very foolproof and durable.  Surprisingly versatile - I once had occasion to fashion a cervical neck collar from 6inches of my pad and duct tape - worked just fine. I spend a lot of time in cactus country and air mattresses just don't work all that well in that environment. ... View more

Just want to comment about invasive critters -spending decades sleeping in tents and completely outside without a tent, invasive snakes, etc. are a non issue.  Proper and secure food storage is an issue.  you will see more local wildlife if you have a sloppy camp. Tents are nice, especially in bad weather, but they are not critical in repelling invading hordes. ... View more